Most of us have internal and external clients with whom we maintain contact. What are ways to stay in touch?

1. Phone: Email has become the traditional way to communicate status reports when working on a project. However, we’re all inundated with email. To get someone’s attention, calling—or leaving a voice mail—is a superior way to get your message through the clutter.

Look through your calendar and find people with whom you had lunch or coffee within the last 24 months or so. Phoning “out of the blue,” with no reason to call except to say hello, will always be appreciated. This is an excellent way to circle back with clients, as well as family, friends, and colleagues.

2. Online. In addition to regular email, watch the action on LinkedIn, FaceBook, and other social networking sites for updates on clients and colleagues. Connect and join online groups that are of interest to you and your clients.

3. Send Mail. A snail-mail letter, card, or invitation will sit on someone’s desk and remind that person of you. Emailed newsletters are an excellent way to stay in touch. And you can use your email auto signature to convey tag lines and contact information. When sending email, be sure to include your contact information on all correspondence.

4. In Person. There’s nothing like seeing someone in person. Pop down the hall; schedule an in-person, follow-up appointment; or invite a client or colleague to an event. Nothing says “I care about you and how you’re doing” more than making and taking time to see someone in person.

Consider ways to support your clients on their projects. Ask if there’s anything that you can do to help. Consciously look for opportunities to connect people in your network with each other. If it is appropriate, or during the holidays, bring a token gift, such as a plant, to say you are thinking about them.

5. Events. Attend industry and professional events. Invite clients and colleagues. Event organizers always like a full house.

Host or co-host events, speak at professional associations, and volunteer selectively to maintain visibility with your clients and within your industry.

Out of sight is really out of mind. Maintain contact with your clients and professional network. It’s a great way to form and maintain career-long friendships.

Delegating allows you to get more done without doing it yourself. And yet, how often do all of us think that it’s easier to do it yourself, then to ask some one to help? How can you delegate a project, or piece of a project, and make that that it’s done satisfactorily?

One way is by setting what are known as SMART goals.

Smart goals are:

Specific. Give clear instructions as to a specific, or agreed upon outcome.

Measurable. Are there metrics or an outcome which can be measured?

Attainable. Is the agreed upon project achievable?

Realistic. Is the goal realistic and relevant?

Timely. Set deadlines for feedback, completion or tracking milestones or deliverables.

When possible, delegate the whole project or make sure that the person to whom you delegate understands how their piece fits in with the whole.

And don’t forget to congratulate and say thank you when a job is done!

Delegating allows you to share the workload, while cultivating team work, skills and accountability with others in your firm.

How can you love what you do? What’s the key to putting passion into your professional work?

1) Consider activities outside of the office that you enjoy. Activities that make your heart sing. Can you bring this same enthusiasm to your office?
2) Let your teammates know that you’re happy, excited, and eager to be at work. Talk about your projects with excitement and enthusiasm.

3) Focus on elements of your work that you enjoy the most. Take care of the hardest parts first while you’re fresh… and save the best for last.

4) Make work fun. Consider inexpensive and upbeat ways to reward the team.

5) Set goals. People with goals and focus achieve the desired outcome and usually feel great about the process. It’s the journey that inspires passion, not just the result.

At the end of the day, when you love your work, you don’t know where the day has gone. Time is meaningless.

The key to achieving your goals is to know your goals. As we’re now midway through the year, this is an excellent time to dust off and re-evaluate your New Year’s resolutions.

Companies are scrutinizing potential candidates more closely than ever. Often the interview process is initiated with a phone screening, followed by an invitation to interview in person. It’s not unusual today for a candidate to then be brought back for a second round of interviews.

Second interviews are opportunities to confirm a technical and personality match before making a hiring decision.

Here are five tips to move from second interview to offer:

1) Wear the consultant hat. What are the key challenges of the role? Focus the interview on how you can make both the hiring manager and the company more successful.

2) Be low maintenance. Stress punctuality, attention to detail, eagerness to lean and appreciation for the opportunity.

3) Watch that what you say you do best is congruent with the requirements of the position. It’s easy to talk hiring managers out of hiring you.

4) Ask for the job. Companies need to hear verbally that a candidate is interested in their position.

5) Think about moving in. If not brought up earlier, ask questions about the physical location in which you will be working. For example, if appropriate, ask for a tour or ask to see where your desk will be.